Pocket container for tumbler



April 30, 1968 w. R. STONE ET AL 3,380,635

POCKET CONTAINER FOR TUMBLER Filed June 19, 1967 .mIlm

INVEN TOR WILLIAM R. STONE ALBERT H WHITAKER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,389,635 POCKET CONTAINER FOR TUMBLER William R. Stone, 112 Apolena Ave., and Albert II. Whitaker, 111 Apolena Ave, both of Balboa Island, Calif. 92662 Filed lane 19, 1967, Ser. No. 646,869 6 Claims. (Cl. 224-) ABTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tumbler-holding device including a member having relatively stir'f front and back flaps hinged together at one edge, the exterior of the front flap having a bottomless tapered flexible loop adapted to receive a tumbler of liquid, while the back flap may be inserted in a pocket. The hinged connection between the front and back flaps maintains the tumbler in an upright position even when the pocket is inclined forwardly.

Background of the invention The field of the inventi n-This invention relates to liquid-container supporting devices.

The prior rah-This invention relates to a new type of tumbler-supporting device having no real counterpart in the prior art.

Summary of the invention This invention provides a means for safely supporting a tumbler of liquid, leaving the hands free and guarding against spilling of the liquid. The device includes front and back flaps which are relatively rigid and typically may be stiff cardboard covered by plastic. At one edge the flaps are pivotally connected together. The outside of the front flap is provided with a loop of flexible plastic material that defines a substantially frustoconical opening with the front flap. A tapered tumbler received in this opening is wedged in place and will not be dislodged. The back flap is inserted into a pocket, so that the front flap and the tumbler hang on the outside of the pocket. A pivotal connection between the front and back flaps enables gravity to hold the liquid container in an upright position even though the person should lean forwardly,

as the front flap and container swing outwardly by pivoting along the hinge line.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for supporting a tumbler of liquid while leaving the hands free.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container-supporting device which will maintain the container and its contents in an upright position to prevent spillage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container-supporting device that is simply and easily used.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a container-supporting device that is neat and attractive and at the same time is adapted for mass production at a low price.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the container-supporting device of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the device;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, showing the attachment of the flexible loop to the front flap;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View taken along line 44 of FIGURE 1, showing the con- 3,380,635 Patented Apr. 30, 1968 struction at the hinge between the front and back flaps;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1, also illustrating the hinge construction;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the device with a tumbler fitted within the loop; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the device in use, illustrating how the tumbler is maintained in an upright position even though the person wearing the device has leaned over.

Description 0 the preferred embodiment The container-supporting device 10 of this invention includes a front flap 11, a back flap 12 and a flexible loop 13 carried by the front flap. The front and back flaps 11 and 12 are somewhat stiff flat elements which may be shaped to a generally rectangular configuration, as illustrated. The flaps l1 and 12 are joined along their shorter edges by a transverse hinge connection 14. Therefore, the front flap 11 may rotate relative to the back flap 12 about an axis provided by the transverse line at the hinge point 14. This permits the flaps to assume a doubled-over relationship.

The loop 13 is of flexible material, with its side edges 16 and 17 spaced apart and attached to the front flap 11. The edges 16 and 17 extend generally longitudinally of the front flap 11 but are convergent toward the end 18 of the front flap. Therefore, the loop 13, together with the front flap 11, provides a tapered bottomless receptacle, the outer portion of which is generally frustoconical in configuration.

In use of the device 10, a tumbler 20 is inserted into the receptacle defined by the loop 13 and the front flap 11, as indicated in FIGURES 6 and 7. The bottom end 21 of the tumbler extends downwardly beneath the bottom edge 22 of the loop 13. However, a tumbler conventionally is of frustoconical configuration, so that it does not slide through the loop but is supported thereby. The tumbler 20, having an upper portion larger than the space inside the loop 13, will wedge between the loop 13 and the flap 11 so that it is securely in place and will not be dislodged. It must be pulled upwardly to be removed from the loop 13 and cannot be jostled free because of the wedging engagement. The absence of a bottom at the lower portion of the loop 13 allows the tumbler to drop downwardly in the loop a sufficient distance so that it wedges in place.

The rear flap 12 is inserted into a pocket 23, which may be a coat pocket or a shirt pocket. The lower edge 24 of the rearward flap 12 rests on the bottom of the pocket. The back flap 12 is dimensioned such that the hinge connection 14 is slightly above the upper edge of the pocket, so that the front flap 11 and the loop and tumbler will hang outside the pocket along the front side of the coat or shirt of the wearer. The front flap 11 keeps the side of the tumbler 26* away from the clothing of the wearer. In this manner, the tumbler 20 is supported securely, yet the hands are left free.

One of the advantages of the arrangement of this invention lies in the pivotal connection 14 between the front and back flaps 11 and '12. This enables the tumbler 20 and its contents to remain upright despite movement of the person wearing the device 10. For example, as shown in FIGURE 6, if the person leans forwardly the front flap 11 and the tumbler 20 will remain substantially in an upright position. This occurs as gravity causes the front flap to pivot about the hinge line 14. Therefore, one is free to move about in a normal manner without danger of spilling the liquid in the tumbler 20 or dislodging the tumbler from the supporting device.

The device 10 of this invention may be made from relatively stiff cardboard and vinyl sheet material. For example, the device may include a core of binder board or chipboard covered by 16-gauge vinyl sheets 26 and 27 on its opposed surfaces. The cardboard core is aligned so that it resists bending transversely. The sheets 26 and 27 are heat-Welded together at their margins 2% beyond the edges of the core 25.

Cutouts are provided in the core 25 at the locations where the edges 16 and 17 of the loop 13 are attached (see FIGURE 3). The edges of the loop 13 and the sheets 26 and 27 are all heat-Welded together at these spaces so that the loop 13 is securely attached. to the front flap 1'1.

The core 25 may be a one-piece sheet of cardboard extending the length of both flaps 11 and 12, and provided with an elongated transverse cutout at the location of the hinge 14. The sheets 26 and 27 are heat-welded at the location of the cutout, which leaves only thin edge portions 29 of the board beyond the central cutout portion, as seen in FIGURE 5. The thin edges 29 readily bend along with the vinyl material at the cutout area when the device is to be put into use, and the flaps 11 and 12 are folded together, thereby resulting in the transverse hinge 14. In this manner, the device 10 is made as an attractive unit, yet its cost is minimal and it is readily produced on a volume basis.

The device of this invention may be given different proportions, if desired, to suit certain conditions. For example, the front fiap may be made wider than the back flap, and the loop also enlarged, Where large paper cups or similar containers are to be supported. Also, the back flap in some instances may be made shorter than the front flap instead of being of equivalent length as in the embodiment illustrated.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited solely by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A container-supporting device comprising first and second members of relatively stiff material,

said first member being relatively flat and adapted to fit within a pocket, means pivotally connecting said first and second members at marginal portions thereof, whereby said second member is adapted to be suspended outside a pocket when said first member is received Within a pocket,

and container-engaging means carried by said second member for supporting a container exteriorly of said pocket for pivotal movement about said means pivotally connecting said first and second members, said container-engaging means including a loop means on said second member for receiving a container therein, said loop means being tapered for ailowing a tapered container to wedge therein.

2. A container-supporting device comprising first and second relatively flat and stiff members, means pivotally connecting adjacent edge portions of said first and second members so that said second member is adapted to be doubled over said first member, said first :member being adapted for insertion in a pocket for suspending said second member in a generally doubled-over relationship exteriorly of such a pocket,

and a bottomless flexible loop carried by said second member, said loop being tapered to converge toward the end of said second member opposite from said pivotal connecting means, whereby said loop is adapted to receive a tapered container and hold the same to said second member. 3. A container-supporting device comprising first and second relatively fiat and stift members, means pivotally connecting adjacent edge portions of said first and second members so that said second member is adapted to be doubled over said first member, said first member being adapted for insertion in a pocket for suspending said second member in a generally doubled-over relationship exteriorly of such a pocket,

and a bottomless flexible loop carried by said second member, said loop being of flexible material having spaced edges attached to said second member, and converging from a first edge adjacent said pivotal connecting means to a second edge remote from said pivotal connecting means, whereby said loop is adapted to receive a tapered container and hold the same to said second member.

4. A container-supporting device comprising first and second relatively fiat and stiff members, said first and second members being made of relatively stiff cardboard covered with flexible plastic sheet material, means pivotally connecting adjacent edge portions of said first and second members so that said second member is adapted to be doubled over said first member, said first member being adapted for insertion in a pocket for suspending said second member in a generally doubled-over relationship exteriorly of such a pocket,

and a bottomless flexible loop carried by said second member, said loop being adapted to receive a tapered container and hold the same to said second member.

5. A device as recited in claim 4 in which said cardboard is a one-piece element extending from said first member to said second member, said cardboard including a transverse cutout portion, said plastic sheet material being heat-welded at said cutout portion for providing a bendable area and said means pivotally interconnecting said firs-t and second members.

6. A device as recited in claim 4 in which said loop has spaced edge portions, said cardboard having a cutout portion adjacent each of said edge portions, said plastic sheet material and said edge portions being heat-welded at said cutout portions for attaching said loop to said second member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,812,891 11/1957 Carlson et al 224-26 X 3,148,812 9/1964 Hilsingcr 2245 3,294,298 12/1966 Danielson 224-5 3,295,235 1/1967 Tauber.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

